Does daily consumption of fresh fruits lowers the risk of diabetes?

Have you eaten fresh fruits today? Not only it will keep diabetes at bay but also reduce its complications in diabetic people and reduce the risk of death.

What is diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes mellitus which accounts for 90% of all diabetes cases - affects millions of people worldwide. With the ageing of the world’s population, diminishing physical activity and added obesity, the incidence of type2 diabetes is rising at alarming rates. The International Diabetes Federation estimates that there are more than 382 million people with diabetes worldwide, and this number is likely to increase by 55% by 2035.

In Type 1 diabetes (T1D) the body stops producing insulin or produces too little insulin to regulate blood glucose level while in Type 2 diabetes (T2D) although the pancreas still secretes insulin, the body of someone with type 2 diabetes is partially or completely incapable of responding to insulin. This is often mentioned as insulin resistance. The pancreas tries to overcome this resistance by secreting more and more insulin. People with insulin resistance develop type2 diabetes when they fail to secrete enough insulin to cope with their body's demands.

What does the researchers suggest?

In a research published in PLOS Medicine, it is found that the consumption of fresh fruit was associated with a lower incidence of diabetes, as well as reduced occurrence of complications in people with diabetes, in a Chinese population. For individuals who have already developed diabetes, restricted consumption of fresh fruit, which is common in many parts of the world, should not be encouraged.

We all know that eating fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits go hand in hand with healthy lifestyle for well-being. But people diagnosed with diabetes are restricted to eat fruits due to the common belief of high sugar content in fruits. However, the researchers have reported that eating a bowl of fresh fruits every day can lower the risk of developing diabetes by 12% and also diabetes related complications.

It is also found that diabetics who regularly ate fruit — about 100 grams or ½ cup daily — had a 17 % lower risk of death from any cause; 28% lower risk of complications involving small blood vessels like kidney and heart disease; and 13% lower risk of complications involving large blood vessels, such as stroke and heart disease.

Best fruits for diabetics:

Among healthy individuals, those who ate fresh fruit daily had a 12% lower risk of developing diabetes compared to those who never or rarely ate it. The best fruits for diabetics are blueberries, strawberries, guava, watermelon, cherries, papaya, pomegranates, apples, pears and oranges which release sugars more slowly into the blood stream than bananas, grapes and other tropical fruits. They are full of fiber and antioxidants and stock you with the essential nutrients that your body requires.

Beware:

It's important to make a difference between whole fresh fruit which is loaded with fibre and fruit juice which is very high in sugar. So it’s necessary to note that fruit may lower risk of diabetes, but fruit juice may raise it.

The most efficient method of reducing your diabetes risk is to have a healthy diet with regular exercise and maintaining healthy weight.

So add a touch of refreshment in your day with bowl of fresh fruits and don’t forget to keep it healthy!!

References:

www.nhs.uk

www.aarp.org

What does it mean for your body to be alkaline?

You may not have known it, but our blood pH must stay within a very narrow range or serious illness and death can result. Do you know that the water fish swim in needs to be the correct pH in to live? Also, plants blossom when the soil is at the right pH level. Life only exists where there’s balance, and your body is totally regulated by pH!  So keeping your diet mainly alkaline rather than acidic is a much healthier and easier option to live healthy, increasing your life span.

What is pH?

It is a numeric scale to measure the balance of acids and bases in fluids. It can be simply described as values for acidic: 1-6, alkaline: 8-14 and neutral:7 pH. Our body has alkaline pH of 7.4 but poor eating habits, unhealthy lifestyle and stress alter the pH levels to acidic one where disease thrives easily.

Why pH gets affected?

Electrolytes levels of various minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chromium, selenium, and iron are maintained in our body. But when our body is gets exposed to acidic substances, it utilizes these electrolytes to neutralize the acidity and tries to maintain alkalinity. This leads to depletion of minerals from the bones, cells, organs and tissues. Thus cells are deprived of minerals and oxygen and immunity is suppressed.

The primary defense mechanism against disease is a proper pH balance in our body. Disease can only nurture in an acidic body, which makes positive conditions for the development of bacteria, yeast, fungus, mold, viruses, and other microorganisms.

Causes of high acidic level

• Alcohol and drug use
• Antibiotic overuse
• Artificial sweeteners
• Declining nutrient levels in foods due to industrial farming
• Low levels of fiber in the diet
• Lack of exercise
• Excess hormones from foods, health and beauty products and plastics
• Exposure to chemicals and radiation from household cleansers, building materials, computers, cell phones and microwaves
• Food coloring and preservatives
• Poor chewing and eating habits
• Processed and refined foods
• Stress
• Poor sleep habits
• Environmental toxins
• Red meat or a high-protein diet
• Refined sugars
• Processed foods and refined carbohydrates
•       Eating too few fruits and vegetables

Symptoms of being acidic:

• Weight gain
• Eye problems like watery eyes, conjunctivitis, inflammation of the eyelids and corneas
• Leg cramps and spasms, joint and muscle pain
• Headaches, frequent cold, low immunity
• Teeth and mouth issues like loose teeth, sensitive to hot, cold, or acidic foods, mouth ulcers, infections in throat and tonsils
• Unhealthy skin, nails and hair
• Digestive issues like excess stomach acid, acid reflux, gastritis, ulcers.
• Low energy; constant fatigue
• Being continually depressed with a loss of joy and enthusiasm
• Allergies, asthma and congestion
• Excessive nervousness
  
  
  
  
  

  How to achieve balanced pH?

  
  
  Unfortunately most of us don't pay much attention to our diet until we experience a major health scare or emergency and take steps later to regain health. You can help your body enormously just by modifying your eating habits
  
  
  • Drinking more filtered water daily (have one or two glasses of lemon water every morning: one wedge of lemon squeezed into warm water)
  • Drinking herbal teas
  • Eating a more fruits and vegetables like lemons and watermelons, avocados, cucumbers, broccoli, capsicum, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, Parsley, and Asparagus which have high alkaline values.
  • Eating whole grains like Amaranth, Quinoa and Millet.
  • Raw nuts and seeds like raisins, apricots, dates
  • cold-pressed vegetable oils and black olives

Lifestyle habits that can help:

• Eating breakfast every day
• Going to bed at regular time.
• Clearing your environment or your home of toxic chemicals 
• Taking deep breaths (belly breathing) 
• Having warm baths with Epsom salts and essential oils like lavender, mint, eucalyptus or lemon
• Taking time to walk outside and enjoy nature
• Giving time for yourself (reading, singing, yoga, whatever makes you happy

Benefits of alkaline body pH:

• Boost your energy dramatically.
• A state of wellness where you feel healthy, energetic, have smooth glowing skin and an alert, focused mind
• Slows down the aging process
• Lower your risk of cancer.
• By eating healthy you naturally lose weight.

  Finally, don’t be too acidic. Balanced body chemistry can make a big change in your health. Try to balance out and have an eye on what you eat.

  
  

  Don’t forget to keep it healthy!!

  
  

  For more information here's the list of Books on alkaline diet:

  1. The pH Miracle: Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health

  2. The pH Miracle for Diabetes: The Revolutionary Diet Plan for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetics

  3. The pH Miracle for Weight Loss: Balance Your Body Chemistry, Achieve Your Ideal Weight

  4. Alkalize or Die: Superior Health Through Proper Alkaline-Acid Balance

  5. The Acid-Alkaline Food Guide - Second Edition: A Quick Reference to Foods & Their Efffect on pH Levels

  
  

  
  

  
  

  References:

  www.care2.com

  www.dontdieearly.com

  www.naturalnews.com

  www.acidalkalinediet.com